By:  Diane Benjamin

The City of Bloomington can’t legally withhold documents that existed before the State Police announced their investigation, but they are trying to keep me from finding the truth anyway.  Did they really think I wouldn’t write about it?

I filed a FOIA request for the all General Ledger Accounts pertaining to Sister Cities on August 10th.  This is the FOIA they told me to pick-up at City Hall and then they couldn’t find it when I tried.

Yesterday I received an email claiming to be this FOIA.  It was slightly over 1 page of information, obviously nothing I needed to pick up! It also wasn’t a General Ledger.  The report I received is CLEARLY labeled Trial Balance:

For you non-accounting type, a trial balance does not list details of transactions occurring in the accounts – it merely list totals.

The General Ledger does have the details.  It will tell me if any of this trip was funded by taxpayers, besides Tari’s ticket.

Look closely at the second account listed.  It’s labeled “Donations”.  It also shows over $100,000 “donated”.  (that still doesn’t cover expenses)

I wonder what they mean by donations?  Is the City handing out receipts for payment labeled donations?  I wonder if the IRS reads this site . . . .

Refer to this story:  https://blnnews.com/2017/08/17/is-sister-cities-a-tax-scam/

Obviously the City is attempting to hide information, very transparent!